Kinnock under fire over recruitment

By Martin Banks

Date: 30/10/03

EUROPEAN Commission Vice President Neil Kinnock was today (30 October) accused of “undermining”.the overhaul of the rules under which the EU recruits its staff.

The biggest EU civil service staff union, Union Syndicale, says a new clause demanded by the European Parliament as a condition for its approval of Kinnock's staff reforms has been added to the latest draft of the revised staff regulations.

The union claims, that under an amendment to Article 29, anyone working for the Parliament's political groups can apply for a vacant job in an EU institution and the appointing authority must consider that application before considering candidates on open competition reserve lists.

Aspirants applying via the open competition method have to undergo a rigorous selection process involving linguistic, general knowledge and specialized tests.

The union claims this will enable 'temporary agents' - such as secretaries or assistants - who work for the Parliament's political groups, to penetrate any EU institution without having to go through the rigours of open competitions.

Union Syndicale President Alan Hick said: “This amendment will entitle political group secretariat staff to fill any vacant post in any EU institution on the same footing as proper officials who, unlike them, will have had to apply in competition with thousands of other people.

“Surrendering to such political blackmail in order to salvage the 'reform' package only succeeds in fundamentally undermining it. The scandalous amendment, in effect, tacitly accepts jobs for the boys.”

Hick, whose union represents around 40% of Commission staff, added: “In order to appease Parliamentary political groups coming to the end of their mandate, the open competition method of recruitment to the EU civil service is now being substantially altered.

“After three years of hard negotiation, strike action and a final agreement with the Council, Union Syndicale wholeheartedly condemns this disgraceful clause added at the last minute in order to appease vested political interests.

“We shall do everything in our power to persuade the Commission to stand up for what it knows to be right and drop the amendment.”

Kinnock's spokesman, Eric Mamer, refuted the allegations. “It is totally incorrect to say that, under these proposals, temporary agents will get any sort of preferential treatment. I can assure the union that the European Personnel Selection Office will ensure that temporary agents who obtain the status of officials will have gone through a selection procedure as rigorous as the normal open competitions.”

Union Syndicale, the European Union's biggest civil service staff union, has accused Neil Kinnock, Vice President of the European Commission, of 'undermining' the Commission's staff reforms by inserting a new clause, demanded by the European Parliament, into the latest draft of the revised staff regulations.

http://www.unionsyndicale.org/ http://www.unionsyndicale.org/

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